21st Century women
Address to Females in Information Technology & Telecommunications -
FITT Luncheon meeting
Parliament House
Sydney 14 July 1999
In an environment where the only consistency is change, one would think existing at
this point in time could be a little daunting. Is it our intuition, or perhaps a
lifetime’s experience of doing a hundred things at once? Whatever the reasons, so
many women at the threshold of the 21st century feel they are in their comfort
zone.
Reaching the year 2000 is having a far greater impact on the way I think about the
world and how we live than I ever would have anticipated. It is forcing contemplation of
the future in the context of the past. How can we do things better? The pressure is on for
a new way of approaching the problems that plague our society. Frustration is growing as
things seem to get worse, not better. The politics of globalisation represent not one
single challenge, rather it is the context in which all must be made. The greatest
weakness will be conservatism and linear, not lateral, thinking.
The roles women create for themselves in vocations at the forefront of change, like
information technology, will be significant determinants of the future direction of
change. In this lies an incredible opportunity to progress a humanist agenda. But it is an
opportunity not without barriers to be traversed. I do acknowledge, however that by virtue
of your presence here today that many of you have already dealt with these barriers very
effectively and I thank FITT for so effectively highlighting your achievements as well as
the challenges ahead for women in IT.
I have always felt like I have ridden the crest of the feminist wave, with the
activities of those before me creating a realm of new opportunities. Now it is time to
consolidate this remarkable progression as well as maintain pressure towards realisation
of genuine gender equity. Within periods of rapid change there is a chance to break rules
and make new ones, or in some cases just decide there are not going to be any! Our
presence in decision making across society is necessary to secure a sustainable future.
We need a vision for Australia. Confidence in our social, cultural and economic future
is a prerequisite to a positive future. We look to political leadership to give tangible
expression to a vision for social equity. Whilst this may sound like lofty ideals, like
many women I speak with, I do not empathise with the art of political understatement or
seek refuge in economist-speak! It is a deep, passionate caring about ‘what happens
next’ that will provide the motivation required to effectively navigate the turbulent
waters of change.
Both the strength and number of women engaged in world peace, environmental and social
equity movements are an indication of the depth of this motivation. Young women in
particular are finding a profound level of personal satisfaction involving themselves in a
focussed cause. The value of these contributions even outweighs the down-side of adding to
an all ready jam-packed, time-critical, multi-layered lifestyle.
For those not even directly involved in information technology, the Internet has
facilitated a new level of global political activism and empowered a whole generation of
young women in ways that mean little to the unconnected but represent a new way of life
for those that embrace it. I had the good fortune of meeting a young woman of 15 years
from a Sydney high school on the weekend who told me about her recent experience at the
FITT speakers program. This program is designed to introduce young women to the concept of
a career in IT. She was culturally entrenched in the net. She conveyed to me of her
admiration of the women who had shared their experiences with the group and pronounced
that one pioneering women in IT, Ann Moffat, as her new role model. As you know, Ann was a
founding member of FITT Ann has spent forty years working in information technology.
Although it is merely part of tangible technological progression, there is no doubt the
Internet is one of the most profound developments. For me the net is just there, it is
part of my reality and I live and think differently as a result of continual exploration
of its role in my personal and professional life. For Australia it represents an
opportunity to remove the shackles of geographic economic isolation.
Surely it is plain to see the incredible scope we have to export digital content, be it
goods or services? Why is it potential inhibitors to the lamb trade, worthy beast
and issue though it is, attracts so much more political attention than a Coalition-driven
legislated potential inhibitor to the operation of the Internet? Ironic, given that
Australia’s farmers have found within this new medium a way access to information
about markets so crucial that farmers now have one of the most impressive and fastest
growing connectivity rates in the country.
Innovation in information technology puts pressure on those who don’t want to do
things differently. The Internet gives decision-makers the opportunity to bypass the
establishments’ pre-determined channels of communication. It will give a voice to
human rights activists and environmentalists the world over and allow global movements to
work cooperatively like never before. The new millennium is an opportunity to skip ahead
in the attitude stakes and relegate sexism and misogyny to the 20th century
‘what’s out’ list.
The Internet is re-setting power relationships. It is a global electronic medium that
will be a circuit breaker for the frustration and cynicism felt by so many young people.
For many women, the Internet’s chaotic overload of information and worldly scope
presents not an intimidating, technical mass, but a space within which we can put our
intuitive, lateral approach to life and work to good use.
In the past, new technologies have been the playground for men. The Internet is
different. Statistically, women are using it in almost equal numbers. This is not
surprising in some respects, with many more women having the input skills necessary to use
computers. My own opportunity to get in front of a computer relied on an ability to type.
The mouse just took lots of practice. This great practical skill of many women is under
threat of never being attributed the status and recognition it deserves.
It is ironic also that studies into why less women consider technical careers in IT
indicate that women associate computers with secretarial work and the perceived
stereotypical sexist connotation as a negative. So while men bust their butts and receive
peer commendations about having conquered the latest technological innovation, we know
they have just learnt to click a mouse and open a file. These are appalling
generalisations, I know - but I think you get my point.
One way barriers to computer literacy are being addressed is voice activated computers.
This technology will remove the need for finely tuned motor skills of keyboarding to be
concurrently performed with clear thinking and expression required to record ideas through
text. The potential to empower those currently without the necessary keyboarding skills is
immense. Given the rapidity with which new products are coming on to the market the
analogy that comes to mind is the extraordinary attention paid by the powers that be in
ensuring that viagra reached the market place ASAP. Seriously though, the potential for
this technology to facilitate people, particularly those with disabilities, to harness the
power of computing and the Internet is incredibly important and warmly welcomed.
With the widely acknowledged skills shortage in IT and the comparatively small number
of women in IT related courses it is good to see many initiatives emerging to demolish the
discriminatory barriers, be they structural or perceived, to women’s participation.
For the economic rationalists and misogynists out there, take heed, as there are as many
dry arguments for investing significant resources into ensuring more women choose IT as
are there are philosophical arguments of equity.
These reasons include the fact that Australia’s trade deficit in Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) is ballooning and will grow from $6b to $46b if left
unchecked within five years. This means we need to support the Australian ICT industry and
create jobs here. Even massive growth in the export of tasty morsels will never be enough
to offset this trend in the trade figures. The challenge, as with all issues of great
significance, are many.
It is not enough to market IT courses without ensuring the places are there. The right
type of course places will not be there unless the universities, etc are adequately
resourced. Educational institutions will not be adequately funded until there is political
recognition that our economic future is directly linked to the knowledge society. The
clever people emerging through our education system then need to be able to get work here.
Otherwise we will continue to lose our IT talent at the astounding rate of 1000 per month,
which is the figure offered by Morgan and Banks recruitment director, James Morgan.
With an estimated 30,000 IT vacancies here, and over 115,000 in Silicon Valley, the
pressure and competition for these bright minds is fierce. No bitsy, half-baked approach
will deal with this.
All of these issues traverse a multitude of government portfolios and affect all
industries, because IT is an enabling tool for business as well as a critical industry
sector in itself. None of what I am saying is new, however, and the fact that so many of
you in this room are familiar with these issues serves to highlight the state of relative
political inertia. Is Australia’s fate to be one of sluggish mediocrity, destined to
forever link our future to others by default as much as active subscription?
I think not, because I am an optimist and I hang on the fact that opportunities have
not passed, they are just changing in their nature. The Internet changes the way I conduct
myself as a politician almost on a daily basis. If this is how it is affecting me, then I
can only imagine the impact on others. During periods of such contemplation I am reminded
of those who don’t get the chance to see what is happening - to experience the
'magic' of the Internet.
Equity of access continues to be a dream, with the high cost of computers and
connections keeping many locked out. Connection costs outside of metropolitan areas also
present a real barrier to using the Internet. Generational chasms, whilst presenting great
opportunities for young people, will potentially isolate others, particularly older people
who are currently trailing significantly in the connectivity statistics. Surely this
justifies a little more attention? I had a visit from an interesting woman the other day
that told me about a project she was involved in through the University of the Third Age.
They had put this service on line, offering degrees to older people. The evaluation showed
that 72% of successful graduates were women.
It will take a range of ideas, programs, initiatives, structural changes and a lot of
political will to leap-frog Australia out of a pattern of complacency for ‘what
happens next’. In Australia, we should be proud of the mind share that Australian
women have already grasped in information technology and work together to grow our
presence in all fields and I honour the women here today for their personal and
professional achievements.
When ‘1999’ was released by Prince, I remember sitting around listening to it
with friends, calculating how old we would all be in the year 2000 and speculating as to
what we would be doing, where we would be and even how many kids we would have. It seems
like yesterday and yet it was fifteen years ago. The only computer around was an Apple IIC
and I did not know how to use it. Unbeknownst to me, William Gibson's Neuromancer had just
been published, and fuelled the imagination of the next generation of culturally motivated
technologists.
I have learnt that the future does not just happen. People make it happen. We all shape
it and through our ideas, decisions and actions determine what the life experience of our
children and future generations will be. We all have a role to play. We will work together
to make sure many more women also have an opportunity.
Thankyou
